But there are 25 million mobile-phone users in Kenya, 10 million of whom use mobile data, he said. MedKenya provides information about individual doctors and their qualifications, organized by specialization.

The app also provides basic information about possible health problems based on symptoms. Users can look up their symptoms to find out what might be causing them, Njihia said. That information can also link to the phone number of a specialist in that particular area.

MedKenya is available in apps for Android, Symbian and feature phones, as well as via the mobile Web and SMS (short message service). Within five years, MedKenya aims to be on 200 types of mobile devices and generating about US$2 billion per year, Njihia said.

The IDG News Service